Calum McFarlane made three changes to Chelsea's starting lineup for the FA Cup semi-final against Leeds United at Wembley on Sunday, April 26, 2026, naming a 4-2-3-1 that put João Pedro up front after he was passed fit to start.
The side McFarlane selected read: Sanchez in goal; Malo Gusto, Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo and Marc Cucurella across the back; Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia in midfield; Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernandez and Alejandro Garnacho behind Joao Pedro. The bench included Sharman-Lowe, Acheampong, Fofana, Hato, Essugo, Andrey Santos, Cole Palmer, Derry and Liam Delap.
Those three changes were the clearest sign of McFarlane's hand after he was named interim head coach midweek. João Pedro returned to the starting XI after missing the previous two matches, and Cole Palmer was back among the substitutes following a spell out for the Brighton game.
The match kicked off at 15.00 BST at Wembley Stadium in London, with Jarred Gillett the on-pitch referee and Paul Howard operating as VAR. UK viewers could watch on TNT Sports 1 and viewers in the United States on ESPN2.
Chelsea were playing for a place in the FA Cup final — a run to the last match at Wembley would be the club's 17th FA Cup final appearance, a mark previously reached only by Manchester United and Arsenal. Leeds United, who beat West Ham on penalties to reach Wembley, were bidding to reach a fifth FA Cup final.
For Leeds the tie carried a different set of echoes. reporting noted the club had gone almost 40 years without a semi-final before this run, and fans at Wembley remembered the high of the 1972 cup win and the pain of the 1973 final defeat to Sunderland. The club's more recent cup moments, including a 2010 win over Manchester United while playing in the third tier, were also part of the memory jog.
The context around the tie sharpened the stakes: Leeds are still involved in a Premier League survival fight and, according to the schedule, are due to host relegated Burnley at Elland Road on Friday after the Wembley game. That tight calendar amplified the classic conflict between cup ambition and league necessity.
That conflict found a voice among fans. Gareth, speaking before the game, said the occasion was massive and described himself as old-school — he remembered the televised cup build-ups of the '70s and '80s and insisted the FA Cup remained the best club competition in the world, urging the team to focus on winning rather than merely surviving. Tony, another supporter, struck a different note: he called the situation weird, said Premier League survival was his main preoccupation and described Sunday as a free hit, adding he would take a win over Burnley over a scalp at Wembley.
The selection also exposed a practical tension inside Chelsea. McFarlane’s 4-2-3-1 — Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Tosin, Cucurella; Caicedo, Lavia; Neto, Fernandez, Garnacho; Joao Pedro — balanced fresh returns with defensive solidity, with Tosin Adarabioyo named in the centre of defence and Robert Sanchez retained in goal. Liam Delap remained available on the bench should McFarlane need a different plan up front.
Behind the scenes, the referee appointments and broadcast arrangements underlined the fixture's profile: a senior match official on the pitch, a named VAR team and live national coverage in key markets. For both clubs the tie was a high-pressure, high-visibility moment at a stadium built for big occasions.
McFarlane's team selection is, in itself, the clearest sign of intent. By starting João Pedro and naming a settled back four while keeping recognised attacking options on the bench, Chelsea sent to Wembley a side that reads as committed to reaching the final rather than treating the tie as an experiment.
Whether that commitment will be enough to take Chelsea to a 17th FA Cup final will be decided on the pitch, but the managerial choice made on Sunday morning left no doubt: McFarlane has picked a team to win.
